TRANSPORT IN HUMANS

The circulatory system

WHAT IS THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM?

The Circulatory system is the main transport system in mammals. It is responsible for transporting materials

throughout the entire body. It transports nutrients, water, and oxygen to your billions of body cells and carries away wastes such as carbon dioxide that body cells produce. It

is made up of blood vessels and the heart. Mammals have double circulatory systems which means that the blood

travels through the heart twice in one complete journey. It is an amazing highway that travels through your entire

body connecting all your body cells.

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WHAT MAKES UP THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

THE HEART

The Heart is an amazing organ. The heart beats about 3 BILLION times during an

average lifetime. It is a muscle about the size of your fist. The heart is located in the center of your chest slightly to the left. It's job is to pump your blood and

keep the blood moving throughout your body. Your heart pumps around 1.5

gallons of blood every minute

CORONARY ARTERIES

The Coronary Arteries are the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart. They branch off of the aorta at its base. The right coronary artery, the left main coronary,

the left anterior descending, and the left circumflex artery, are the four major coronary arteries. Blockage of

these arteries is a common cause of angina, heart disease, heart attacks and heart failure.

CORONARY HEART DISEASE

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. When plaque

builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. The buildup of plaque

occurs over many years.

The Causes of CHD include:• Smoking• Diets high in salt, saturated fats and cholesterol• Obesity• Stress• Genes